Page 10 - OPTA Access March 2018

OPTA Elections
Meet the Candidates
Elections will be held online from April 14 – May 13, 2018 following Annual Conference. Full candidate bios can be found on the Elections page of the OPTA website and all members will receive an email with login and voting instructions from our partners at AssociationVoting.com.
Candidate for Vice President
Candidate for Secretary
(1 to be elected)
(1 to be elected)
Christine Schulte PT, MBA OPTA District: Northeast
Date of Chapter Membership: 1984
I accepted the nomination to run for second term as OPTA Vice President because of my strong compassion
for our profession Over the last three years I have watched the engagement of our members grow surrounding
Dawn Bookshar, PT, DPT, GCS OPTA District: Northwest
Date of Chapter Membership: 1985
I am honored to be nominated for the position of Secretary for the OPTA
I have been a member of my state organization and APTA for 30 years
I have served the public throughout the continuum of healthcare; including
Professional Advocacy, this devotion is key to ongoing success of the Physical Therapy profession within Ohio Working with both Federal and State affairs has always been of interest professionally My administrative experiences in a large healthcare organization has helped me to understand that
time and persistence is key to success Every three steps forward seem to encounter two steps back thus the journey
is slow however still moving in the right direction OPTA members’ shared great success to prevent our OT/PT/AT Board from consolidation and the united efforts has energized our members Experiencing the political hurdles of HB 169 last General Session and HB 131 in the current Session has been frustrating The OPTA State Chapter staff, lobbyists
and countless volunteers have given hours of time to update our Scope of Practice to truly de ne our work as physical therapists The discussion surrounding “diagnosis” by other medical professions astounds me as no one profession owns the term, yet we continue to talk, rally and debate Therefore, I would appreciate your vote to continue OPTA’s march forward surrounding State and Federal issues affecting our physical therapy profession
outpatient, assisted living, independent living, home health and skilled nursing facilities For the last ten years I have served
as a Regional Clinical Director for over facilities across the country I have supported physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists in their pursuits of evidenced-based, top of license practice
As a board certi ed geriatric specialist, I advocate for the needs of older adults and the clinical and operational needs of the physical therapists who serve this specialized population
I also recognize the impact of today’s political and regulatory environments on the care physical therapists provide I believe I can represent the Physical Therapist and the actively aging older adult in a practical and responsible manner
I have been privileged to serve as your OPTA Secretary from 2012 – 2015 and again in 2017 My involvement with the OPTA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career I welcome the opportunity and challenge to continue serving in this role
10 | March 2018 | OPTA
Meet the Candidates